SASKATOON -- Dan Clapson's love of the prairies forced him to change his event, The Prairie Grid Market, so visitors could still experience it during a global pandemic.

“The Prairie Grid Market is actually an evolution of our annual cornerstone event series previously called the Prairie Grid Dinner Series. The reason why we morphed to a market was obviously because of the pandemic, things obviously have to be a lot different now,” Calpson, the organizer of the market, said.

COVID-19 hit many local businesses hard, with closures of storefronts and events leaving some without sales.

“A big part of how I market Hanes Hummus is at events across the country and all events have been cancelled,” Yohannes Petros, the Creator and Owner of Hanes Hummus, said.

But thanks to this market, Petros says things are starting to feel a little more comfortable

“You know people are yearning for contact obviously not physical contact but you know to be out and to see people and to have a little sense of normalcy,” the business owner said.

Both visitors and staff must abide by physical distancing and are asked to wear a mask. But visitors say its a small price to pay.

“I haven't found many opportunities during COVID to go out and do something and feel very safe. But I’ll tell you it is very safe here everyone is taking the proper precautions,” Shelogh Meisner, a market visitor, said.

Organizers say they're looking forward to giving Saskatoon residents a look beyond the city in an easier format.

“Prairie Grid in general is just an incumbent of how much we love the prairie region and we consider that to be Alberta Saskatchewan and Manitoba there's so many amazing creatives around those provinces and we're just trying to give some attention around all of that.